Meet FG&M Soapery
Do you have a story behind your company name?
I have been very blessed throughout my life with regards to family, friends, health, work, sports, etc. Pretty much all areas of my life. I attribute all my successes as blessings and gifts from God. So, when it came to naming my company, I wanted to recognize and honor my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I chose FG&M, which stands for Frankincense, Gold & Myrrh.
Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh were the gifts the three wise men brought to the Christ Child, Jesus, in Bethlehem. These gifts were to honor him as King. In those days, frankincense, gold, and myrrh were highly valued and proper gifts for a king. Even today, these three elements are very valuable and quite expensive. Frankincense and myrrh have excellent therapeutic properties for skin and hair care products. And gold, well, gold speaks for itself.
In designing my logo, I wanted a classic crest with a crown. Interestingly, the flower of the frankincense tree, Boswellia Sacra, looks like a crown, so, I asked my package designer to draw the crown of the crest to resemble the flower. The leaves on the sides of the crest are also in the shape of the leaves of the Boswellia Sacra tree.
Very cool. Tell us more about how you got started?
After 24+ years as a Certified Public Accountant, I wanted a change in my life to do something different, something with my essential oils, something that would be healthy and good for people. I had been using essential oils for about eight years and had taken a couple of herbalist courses. I made various skincare serums and salves for myself and family, as well as herbal remedies for minor injuries and illnesses throughout these years. So, I retired from Public Accounting May 31, 2018, and set out to do something different.
I happened to buy my husband a natural shaving soap one day shortly after retiring from Public Accounting and noticed the ingredients – all natural and scented with essential oils. I thought, hmmm, I can make this. So, I started my soap making journey. After two and half years of researching, reading, formulating, and practicing, I launched FG&M Soapery’s website in October 2020.
I learned early on in my research that the handcrafted soap industry was very much tailored to women. So, I decided to focus on men’s grooming products, as I had a great background to work with. I have a husband, a son, and two brothers, and I was always encouraging them to take care of their skin, and to use natural and organic products. So, focusing on men’s grooming came naturally with all the guys in my family. My husband and I are also avid golfers, so I had the benefit of having some of the men from the club evaluate products and give me feedback.
We love that it is geared towards men, they need self care too! What inspires you to create?
I believe that the God given wisdom found in nature’s botanicals, salts, and clays hold the true properties and constituents our body needs to be clean, nourished, protected, and revitalized. Just as real food from the earth nourishes and sustains us on the inside, it is just as important what we put on the outside for nourished, healthy, vibrant skin and hair. This is what inspires me to create – all the wonderful bounty of plants, flowers, clays, and salts we were given to enjoy and use to keep our bodies looking good.
That is inspiring. It is so important to consider what is in your skincare products. Do you have a favorite part of the maker process?
My favorite part of making my products is cutting the soaps. After making the soap, it stays in the mold for two days, and then another day or so after coming out of the mold before I cut it. I am always anxious to see it right away, but I know I need to be patient and let the soap saponify for a few days before seeing the end results.
Patience is not my strong suit, that would be challenging! What is a typical day like in the studio for you?
In making bath and body products, it is very important to follow Good Manufacturing Processes to ensure the products are as safe as possible.
In a nutshell, my day goes like this:
Print out the product batch sheet
Sanitize work area, equipment, and utensils
Get out the ingredients and log the ingredient info on the batch sheet
Weigh and mix ingredients for what is being made that day
Record any notes on the batch sheet
Clean up, wash equipment/utensils, and sanitize work area
Other tasks of the day include packaging and labeling finished products, fulfilling any online orders, or working on formulating new products.
Do you have a favorite item you have created?
My favorite creations are my salt soaps. I use real stones from nature as my inspiration and try to design the soaps to look like the stones. Theses soaps are difficult to make for two reasons; 1) salt soap sets up very quickly, so I must work fast, and 2) it was challenging to get the colors right. I only use plants or clays as color, so getting the colors close to the natural stones’ color was a challenge. I often display the actual stones next to the salt soaps in my booth.
That is so unique! Do you have anything special that you will be bringing to Jackalope?
In addition to my current product range of shaving soaps, beard oil, mustache wax, bath soaps, and lip balm, I will be bringing a special limited addition Jackalope Soap.
Love it!! What do you love most about Pasadena?
That is a hard question because there are so many things that make Pasadena a great city. If I had to pick one thing, I would say it is the arts - the museums, botanical gardens, and of course the most wonderful natural art display ever – the Rose Parade.
We can’t wait to see you in person this April 23rd & 24th in Old Pasadena!
Where to see more of FG&M Soapery:
Website | https://fgmsoapery.com/
Instagram | @fgmsoapery